Ezeedrone is the most successful synthetic drone reed maker on the planet, and this is their workhorse set. More players (and more good players) play these than any other drone reeds. They can be adjusted using the rubber bridle to lengthen or shorten the tongue of the reed. Lengthening the tongue makes the reed stronger and flatter. Shortening the tongue weakens it and makes it sharper.  Even tiny movements of the bridle can make a big difference in the strength of the reeds. The tuning screw in the end of the reeds can be lengthened to make the reed flatter. That will make the drone top tune lower on the tuning pin. Shortening the tuning screw makes the reed sharper so that the drone tunes higher on the tuning pin.

This Ezeedrone set with its longer bass drone reed is preferred by some pipers because the added length of the bass reed gives it a lower pitch, meaning the bass drone tunes a bit lower on the tuning pin. This can be advantageous if your bass drone tends to double-tone or “roar” on strike-in. The lower the bass tunes on the pin, the less inclined it is to double tone. Note though that if you use drone plugs or tubes that insert into bottom of the bass drone stock, they may interfere with the longer reed. As with all  Ezeedrone reeds, you can adjust for pitch and strength with minute movements of the rubber bridle. Lengthening the tuning screws in the ends of the reeds will make the reeds flatter so that the drone tops tune lower on the tuning pins.

The ‘inverted bass’ reed has the tongue tied onto the body facing the opposite direction from the standard set. The reason for this is that inverted bass reeds tend to be more reliable upon strike-in, with fewer double-toning (“roaring”) problems. As with all Ezeedrone sets, even small adjustments of the rubber bridle will make a significant difference in the pitch and strength of the reeds. Lengthening the tuning screw in the end of the reed will cause the drone top to tune lower on the tuning pin since it makes the reed flatter.

As stated in the introduction to this section, if you have a remarkably steady bass drone reed that you really like, you might wish to play it with these tenors even though it is not the same make. This is a very common practice among top players. Ezeedrone tenors are remarkably steady and rich. They can be adjusted using the rubber bridle for the tuning screw in the end of the reed. Moving the bridal the tiniest bit can make a significant difference. The tuning screw allows you to adjust for pitch. Lengthening the screw causes the drone top to tune lower. Shortening the screw causes the drone top to tune higher.

The “short” inverted bass drone reeds provided by Ezeedrone are a bit sharper and tune slightly higher on the tuning pin. They also reduce the possibility of a long bass reed being interfered with by stock plugs or moisture control systems that insert into the stock bottoms. The ‘inverted bass’ reed has the tongue tied onto the body facing the opposite direction from the standard bass. Inverted bass reeds tend to be more reliable upon strike-in, with fewer double-toning (“roaring”) problems. The tuning plug in the end of the reed can be screwed into the reed so that the drone top tunes higher. Screwing the plug further out causes the drone top to tune lower. Bass drone reeds that tune low on the pins tend to strike in more reliably.

These reeds are designed for pipers wishing to play a flatter pitch without having the drone tops tune off the ends of the pins. They are particularly useful for pipers playing close to Bb (466 hertz). The reeds can be flat and further using the tuning screw in the ends. Making the tuning screw longer will make the reed flatter so that the drone top tunes lower on the pin.

The tenor reeds in this set are standard, but the bass ‘inverted’ bass reed has the tongue tied onto the body facing the opposite direction from the standard bass. The reason for this is that inverted bass reeds tend to be more reliable upon strike-in, with fewer double-toning (“roaring”) problems. These reeds can be adjusted using the rubber bridal. (The tiniest movement of the bridle can make a substantial difference!) The nosecone of the reed is equipped with a grub screw. Moving the screw towards the end of the reed makes the drone top tune lower on the pin. Moving the screw towards the body of the reed makes the drone top tune higher. I find the tone of these reeds quite refined and I also find the tenors easier to strike in (less squealing) than some on the market. The reeds come with excellent instructions.

I’ve always enjoyed the slightly more refined and air efficient Canning tenor drones. They are also quite reliable in terms of the tenors striking in with minimal squealing. I use these with our boys at St. Andrew’s College for this reason. These reeds can be adjusted using the rubber bridal. (The tiniest movement of the bridle can make a substantial difference!) The nosecone of the reed is equipped with a grub screw. Moving the screw towards the end of the reed makes the drone top tune lower on the pin. Moving the screw towards the body of the reed makes the drone top tune higher. I find the tone of these reeds quite refined. The reeds come with excellent instructions.

If you have a different make of bass drone reed that you like, or if you just want to experiment, you can purchase just a pair of standard Canning tenor drone reeds. As stated in the introduction to this section, if you have a remarkably steady bass drone reed that you really like, you might wish to play it with these tenors even though it is not the same make. This is a very common practice among top players. These reeds can be adjusted using the rubber bridal. (The tiniest movement of the bridle can make a substantial difference!) The nosecone of the reed is equipped with a grub screw. Moving the screw towards the end of the reed makes the drone top tune lower on the pin. Moving the screw towards the body of the reed makes the drone top tune higher. I find the tone of these reeds refined and I also find them easier to strike in (less squealing) than some on the market.

These reeds are increasing in popularity as folks catch on to their tone and adjustability. The natural tone of these reeds is rich and robust. The reeds have three adjustment points: the usual bridle, a telescopic barrel for adjusting tuning position, and an end plug that allows you to adjust the size of the reed’s aperture to control volume.  All in all, you can get them to sound just about any way you want. The basses are particularly reliable for strike-ins.

These reeds are increasing in popularity as folks catch on to their tone and adjustability. The natural tone of these reeds is rich and robust. The reeds have three adjustment points: the usual bridle, a telescopic barrel for adjusting tuning position, and an end plug that allows you to adjust the size of the reed’s aperture to control volume.  All in all, you can get them to sound just about any way you want. Plus, when set right, they tend not to squeal at strike-in.

Rob Kinnaird has been an innovator in piping for two decades now.  His Kinnaird Edge drone reeds are the next generation of Kinnaird carbon fibre drone reeds. They use a patented bendable tongue and grub screws that allow the tongue of the reed to be made stronger or weaker. They can be further adjusted for pitch using a grub screw in the “nose cone” of the reed. Moving the screw towards the tip “lengthens” the reed so that it is flatter (the drone top tunes lower on the pin) while moving the screw towards the body of the reed makes the reed sharper so that the drone top tunes higher on the pin. I’ve seen pipers play Kinnaird reeds for years and years. Clear instructions are included with the reeds.

A piping innovator out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Rob Kinnaird created one of the first widely produce carbon-fibre-tongued drone reeds on the market. The are long-lasting, steady and reliable. They can be adjusted for pitch and strength using the O-ring bridle, and adjusted for pitch using a grub screw in the “nose cone” of the reed. Moving the screw towards the tip “lengthens” the reed so that it is flatter (the drone top tunes lower on the pin) while moving the screw towards the body of the reed makes the reed sharper so that the drone top tunes higher on the pin. I’ve seen pipers play these reeds for years and years. Clear instructions are included with the reeds.

Many top-flight performers consider Kinnaird bass drone reeds among the steadiest and most reliable in the business. I have found they pair well with Ezeedrone or Canning tenor reeds. The reed can be adjusted for strength and pitch using the O-ring bridle. A small grub screw in the nosecone of the reed allows an extra level of pitch adjustment. Moving the screw towards the tip of the reed will cause the drone top to tune lower on the pin. Moving it towards the body of the reed will cause the drone top to tune higher on the pin. These reeds are extremely long-lasting and come with clear and concise operating instructions.

Many top-flight performers find Kinnaird bass drone reeds among the steadiest and most reliable in the business. I have found they pair well with Ezeedrone or Canning tenor reeds. The patented bendable carbon fibre tongue and added adjustment capabilities using built-in grub screws make this the new generation of Kinnaird bass drone reeds.